El Paso’s August 3rd Memorial Is Up For A Peoples Choice Award

The memorial honoring the lives lost in the tragic 2019 Walmart shooting is now gaining national recognition, and the Borderland community can help it receive the spotlight it deserves.

The August Third Memorial, created by beloved local artist Tino Ortega, has been named one of the top 100 public art installations in the country by the prestigious CODA Awards, which recognize excellence in commissioned art worldwide. Now, the memorial is competing for the People’s Choice Award, and as of this week, it’s currently sitting in third place.

Located at Jim Crouch Park in Central El Paso, the memorial stands as a quiet but powerful tribute to the 23 people who lost their lives during the August 3, 2019 mass shooting at Walmart on the city’s east side. The design is intimate and intentional. It invites reflection, remembrance, and above all, unity, something Ortega says was always at the core of his vision.

“This was just an extension of my ability to give back to the community,” Ortega shared in a recent interview with KFOX. The artist, who recently put up a mural to El Paso and Lucha Libre icon Cassandro, poured his heart into this piece, crafting a space that holds deep meaning for a city still healing.

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Tino Ortega (@ortegtino) • Instagram photos and videos

Now, the CODA Awards are giving the community a chance to uplift that work on a national stage.

Here’s How to Vote

Anyone can cast a vote in the People’s Choice category by visiting the CODAworx website. Voting is simple, free, and only takes a few seconds.

👉 Vote here: https://codaworx.com/codaawards/top-100

This is more than just a competition. It’s a chance for El Pasoans to amplify a message of remembrance and resilience. Every vote helps ensure that this memorial, born from heartbreak and built with love, receives the national recognition it so clearly deserves.

Let’s show the country what El Paso stands for: community, compassion, and the power of art to heal.